Of Magic

(from the Book of Wisdom)

 

Mortals speak of many kinds of magic. They talk of arcane magic, elemental magic, druidic magic, necromancy, illusionism, summoning, symbolic magic and many others. To the gods, magic comes from eight sources and is divided in this way into eight types.

These are called:

 

Magic Places

Magic Artifacts

Magic Words

Holy Magic

Magic of the Eternal Flame

World Magic

Blended Magic

Deep Source Magic

 

The first three of these are grouped together as types of "script magic" because they are created by writing on scrolls, also called "scripts" in a magic language and then placing the scrolls in the Eternal Flame. For Magic words, this is the only thing that must be done. For Magic Places and Magic Artifacts, the use of World Magic is also necessary.

 

All eight of these types of magic are "Magic of the Gods" because all of them are used by the gods. These types of magic are defined by how they work, not by what they do. So magic of the element of fire can come from several of these. This does not include any category for magic of the Lathe of Heaven because all of these involve the Lathe of Heaven in various ways. The world was made by the Lathe of Heaven and illuminated by the Eternal Flame. The Lathe of Heaven is most closely associated with World Magic and least associated with the Magic of the Eternal Flame.

 

Many things about magic seem to make sense while others do not make sense or seem to be words without meaning. This is because magic is from beyond our world. It is said that there is no magic in our world, instead, our world is in the magic. This means that our world is made of magic. The ways of magic make sense when seen from the perspective of the gods. The ways of magic may not make sense when seen by mortals because the true nature of magic can never be seen by mortals. The closest mortals may come to truly understanding the essence of magic is when they feel it resonate in their souls with truths of supernatural origin. These truths come from other lives lived in other worlds now known only to the gods.

 

Since the eight divine forms of magic are difficult to understand and are truly comprehended only by the gods, mortals often choose to define magic differently such as by its power, effects or by the school of magic which developed it. Nonetheless, this is a description of the eight divine forms of magic.

 

 

Magic Places

 

Using magic places is the simplest form of magic for a beginner to learn. It is often only necessary to go to the magic place in order for the magic to be triggered. Creating magic places is done by World Magic. It also requires scrolls written in a special magical script language be placed in the Eternal Flame.

 

 

Magic Artifacts

 

Using magic artifacts is one of the simplest forms of magic for a beginner to learn. It is only necessary to obtain the artifact and wield it to generate its magical effect. Creating magic artifacts is much more difficult and is usually done with a different type of magic. Many different types of magic can create magic artifacts, but only World Magic creates new types of magic artifacts. It also requires scrolls written in a special magical script language be placed in the Eternal Flame.

 

 

Magic Words

 

Magic words are spells that a wizard may cast merely by speaking the magic words that trigger the spell. Magic words are normally whispered so that they cannot easily be overheard by others.

 

Magic words can be used by anyone who knows them. They may have limits, cost mana, detract from health, require the possession of items, only be usable by certain people or only work in certain places, but all of these are limits imposed by the original creator of the spell and imposed within the spell itself. They are not inherent in the nature of Magic Words.

 

Creating new Magic Words requires scrolls, also called scripts, written in a special magical language, be placed in the Eternal Flame. This only needs to be done once, then the Magic Words are empowered and can be used by any number of wizards any number of times. Once empowered by the Eternal Flame, a Magic Word can only be destroyed by the power of the Eternal Flame itself.

 

 

Holy Magic

 

Holy Magic is the set of special magic words that all gods can use and that cannot be used by mortals. The use of these words is the clear dividing line between the gods and mortals. Since one of these magic words allows a god to resurrect himself from the land of the dead after being killed, anyone able to use these magic words is, by definition, one of the immortals.

 

Having the power to use Holy Magic is completely separate from knowing the magic words of Holy Magic. Unlike other magic words, Holy Magic does not work unless the person speaking the magic words is a god. One strange aspect of Holy Magic is that it is possible for a god to not know the words to use Holy Magic. For this reason it is possible for someone to be a god and not know it.

 

It is possible to create new Magic Words that can only be used by the gods. The original Holy Magic words are believed to be made directly by Deep Source Magic, but it is also possible that they are the same as other Magic Words restricted to gods except that they are the ones made by the Elder Gods.

 

 

Magic of the Eternal Flame

 

The Eternal Flame is not a fire, it is a source of magical power. It is enormously powerful. The world was made on the Lathe of Heaven, but no one could see it if it were not illuminated by the light of the Eternal Flame at all times. If the Eternal Flame flickers out, even for an instant, the world and everyone in it will cease to exist, though their souls would survive and move on to another world. Even the souls trapped in the underworld would be freed.

 

One of the powers of the Eternal Flame is the "voice of heaven". This is a magical power that allows one to speak with a voice so mighty that it is heard in all lands. This power is generally wielded only by the gods, but could be wielded by a mortal if his soul traveled to the world of the gods.

 

Another power of the Eternal Flame is to hear everything that is said in all lands by everyone. This includes the power to go back in time and hear anything that was said by anyone in any place in the world at any time.

 

It is possible for those able to see into the Eternal Flame to see who is a god and who is not. Those with the power to wield the Eternal Flame can make mortals into gods and cast gods down from the heavens and make them mortal.

 

The Eternal Flame can banish a soul from the world. This kills the person and makes it far more difficult for them to be resurrected, even by the gods.

 

Creating new Magic Words requires not only extensive knowledge of the special arcane language of magic spells. Magic Words must be placed within the glow of the Eternal Flame. This only needs to be done once, then the Magic Words are empowered and can be used by any number of wizards any number of times. Once empowered by the Eternal Flame, a Magic Word can only be destroyed by the power of the Eternal Flame itself.

 

Any spell that uses any other kind of magic, even Deep Source Magic, must be illuminated by the glow of the Eternal Flame to take effect. For some types of magic, especially Magic Words, this is much easier and quicker than with others.

 

 

World Magic

 

World Magic is the magic of the Lathe of Heaven on which the world was made. The Lathe of Heaven can be used to make many changes to the world. It could even make a new world or destroy the world we already have.

 

Since the Lathe of Heaven is in the possession of the god Kraylus, it is difficult for anyone else to ever use this kind of magic except for Krellin, the son of Kraylus, who is sometimes permitted to use the Lathe of Heaven.

 

The Lathe of Heaven is a dangerous tool. It is possible to do great and irreparable damage to the world if the Lathe of Heaven is misused. It is quite easy to destroy entire continents with the Lathe of Heaven by making just a tiny mistake. It is even possible to destroy the world with it by accident.

 

Anything done with the Lathe of Heaven must be illuminated by the glow of the Eternal Flame to take effect.

 

 

Blended Magic

 

Blended Magic is a type of magic that can create new types of things, especially objects, buildings or creatures. It can also modify existing ones. Blended Magic is a very arcane form of magic and is more removed from the world than any other kind except for Deep Source Magic. Blended Magic can only take effect if what it creates or changes is finished on the Lathe of Heaven using World Magic and then illuminated by the glow of the Eternal Flame.

 

 

Deep Source Magic

 

Deep Source Magic is found deep within all other magic and it is the source of all other magic. Deep Source Magic can do virtually anything. Deep Source Magic is the most arcane form of magic that there is. It is the most powerful and it is also the most dangerous.

 

Deep Source Magic can easily destroy the entire world. It is so easy to do this when using Deep Source Magic that constant efforts must be made to avoid this catastrophe.

 

Deep Source Magic can only take effect if it is illuminated by the glow of the Eternal Flame.

 

Although Deep Source Magic is used only by the gods, it could be used by mortals. Since the gods also control the Eternal Flame, their blessing would seem to be necessary, but it is theoretically possible for a mortal to gain control of the Eternal Flame. With the blessing of the right god and an erudite knowledge of the special languages of Deep Source Magic, any mortal could, theoretically, use Deep Source Magic to do anything.

 

None of the languages of Deep Source Magic are the same as the arcane language in which spells are written on scrolls or scripts by wizards for Magic Words, Magic Artifacts or Magic Places.